The VA has granted service connection for the scar on the back of the neck and assigned a 10 percent rating effective August 30, 2002. The veteran is entitled to this higher rating under the revised criteria for evaluating scars.
The deciding factor: The most recent VA examination in July 2004 showed the scar was tender and measured 2 x 1 cm, meeting the criteria for a 10 percent rating under the revised Diagnostic Code 7800 (effective August 30, 2002).
- Claimed conditions
- scar on the back of the neck
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 2, 2006
- Citation
- 0603112
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,669 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0603112.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection due to new and material evidence, and finds that his current scar on the back of his neck is related to his active service.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, scar on the back of the neck, and scar on the left forearm were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also not related to his period of service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.